Book/Dissertation / PhD Thesis

FZJ-2017-07400

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png High-rate growth of hydrogenated amorphous and microcrystalline silicon for thin-film silicon solar cells using dynamic very-high frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Zimmermann, T. (Corresponding author)FZJ*

2013
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH Zentralbibliothek, Verlag Jülich
ISBN: 978-3-89336-892-1

Please use a persistent id in citations: http://hdl.handle.net/2128/15814

Abstract: Thin-film silicon tandem solar cells based on a hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) top-cell and a hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) bottom-cell are a promising photovoltaic technology as they use a combination of absorber materials that is ideally suited for the solar spectrum. Additionally, the involved materials are abundant and non-toxic which is important for the manufacturing and application on a large scale. One of the most important factors for the application of photovoltaic technologies is the cost per watt. There are several ways to reduce this figure: increasing the efficiency of the solar cells, reducing the material consumption and increasing the throughput of the manufacturing equipment. The use of very-high frequencies has been proven to be beneficial for the material quality at high deposition rates thus enabling a high throughput and high solar cell efficiencies. In the present work a scalable very-high frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (VHF-PECVD) technique for state-of-the-art solar cells is developed. Linear plasma sources are applied which facilitate the use of very-high frequencies on large areas without compromising on the homogeneity of the deposition process. The linear plasma sources require a dynamic deposition process with the substrate passing by the electrodes in order to achieve a homogeneous deposition on large areas. State-of-the-art static radio-frequency (RF) PECVD processes are used as a referencein order to assess the potential of a dynamic VHF-PECVD technique for the growth of high-quality a-Si:H and $\mu$c-Si:H absorber layers at high rates. In chapter 4 the influence of the deposition process of the $\mu$c-Si:H i-layer on the solar cell performance is studied for static deposition processes. It is shown that the correlationbetween the i-layer growth rate, its crystallinity and the solar cell performance is similar for VHF- and RF-PECVD processes despite the different electrode configurations, excitation frequencies and process regimes. It is found that solar cells incorporating i-layers grown statically using VHF-PECVD processes obtain a state-of-the-art efficiency close to 8 % for growth rates up to 1.4 nm/s compared to 0.53 nm/s for RF-PECVD processes. [...]

Keyword(s): Solarzelle ; Mikrokristall ; Silicone

Note: Dissertation, Universität Dresden, 2013

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Photovoltaik (IEK-5)

Research Program(s):

1. 899 - ohne Topic (POF3-899) (POF3-899)

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Database coverage:

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